Tzipi Hotovely, one of leaders of internal opposition to Netanyahu, says 'Judea and Samaria are part of land of Israel'

Attila Somfalvi|Published: 20.12.09 , 21:26

Knesset Member Tzipi Hotovely, one of the leading dissenting voices in the Likud faction
opposing the policy adopted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
said Sunday that the territories should be annexed to Israel.

"Israeli law should be applied on the Judea and Samaria region," Hotovely said during a conference in the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and stated she did not rule out granting citizenship to Palestinians.

The MK explained that "Judea and Samaria are a part of the land of Israel," and blamed the Palestinians for the failure of the political process. "We strongly wish to get a divorce, but the other side doesn't want to separate."

Hotovely told Ynet later in the evening, "It's unthinkable that Jews in Judea and Samaria would live under occupation and under a military regime. The distorted policy, which states that every construction permit must be approved by the defense minister harms the most basic rights.

"It’s time to lift the question mark over Judea and Samaria and view the people living there as citizens with an equal status. Thinking ahead, strategically, we should consider granting gradual citizenship to Palestinians based on loyalty tests."

After Netanyahu's declaration supporting the creation of a demilitarized Palestinian state during his Bar Ilan speech,
Hotovely said, "It was a tough and saddening moment for me."

Recently she has been heavy in criticizing the temporary construction freeze in the West Bank and blamed the Likud party and the prime minister for straying from their path.

"It's a disgraceful and pathetic excuse to say US pressure caused the freeze," she noted.

Knesset Member Otniel Schneller (Kadima)
was quick to comment on the MK's remarks regarding citizenship for Palestinians and stated they suggested "an end of the State of Israel
as a Jewish Zionist state" and signified "the loss of Jewish rule, turning us to exiles in the land of Israel."